Free Claiming Aubrey: The Soldier's Revenge by Lexi Arabella

Gavin Clark
    Why did I put myself through the torture of
attending service at Reverend Steve Hall’s church every Sunday,
when Steve Hall was the man I hated most in the world?
    It’s not like his was the only church in Pine
Falls. There was a perfectly good one that was even closer to my
house, but I drove past it every Sunday morning, heading to the
church of that bastard Reverend Hall.
    Not that anyone else in town thought of him
as a bastard. Nope, the preacher was one of the most well-loved,
well-respected people in Pine Falls.
    So why did I go to his church when just the
sight of him made my blood boil in anger?
    The answer sat in the front row of church
every week, gazing adoringly at Reverend Hall as he preached- his
wife, Elizabeth, who also happened to be the girlfriend Steve Hall
stole from me all those years ago.
    Sure, it happened decades ago, and even back
then no one else thought of the situation as Steve Hall having
stolen Elizabeth from me, but I sure as hell did. Elizabeth and I
had been high school sweethearts, with me being a few grades ahead
of her. We promised to write each other every day when I enlisted
in the Army after graduation.
    And we did, until the letters dropped from
daily to weekly to monthly, and then the day came when I got a
letter from Elizabeth saying I’d always have a place in her heart,
but that she’d met someone else and was engaged to be married.
    Now, Elizabeth was Elizabeth Hall, and Steve
had gone on to become a preacher. They had three gorgeous daughters
who looked just like her. Daughters who should have been mine.
Daughters who should have been calling me Daddy, not that
bastard Reverend Hall. While I was serving our country as a
soldier, Reverend Hall was stealing away the love of my life.
    I had married, had two sons, and was now
divorced, but I still never got over Elizabeth, even though no one
knew it. How could I get over her when Reverend Hall had everything
that should have been mine? A loving wife who was just as beautiful
as she was twenty years ago, and three innocent daughters who grew
more beautiful each week.
     
    ****
     
    “You go on in and save us seats,” I said to
my teenage son Jeff. “I want to put this up first.”
    With my younger son Danny trailing behind me,
I walked over to the member announcements board that was hung on
the wall of the church lobby, holding the ‘babysitter wanted’ flyer
I had typed up and printed out that morning. School was letting out
for the summer at the end of the month, and I would need someone to
look after Danny while I was at work. Jeff had a summer job, and
wouldn’t have wanted to spend his vacation watching his
five-year-old brother, anyway.
    I pulled one of the unused thumbtacks out of
the corkboard, using it to pin my flyer up in a clear spot.
    “Hello, Mr. Clark.”
    I turned around to find Aubrey Hall standing
behind me, smiling up at me. I was struck by how much she looked
like her mother had back in high school. Aubrey had the same creamy
skin, kissable pink lips, and flowing golden hair. Even with her
fairly modest church dress covering her, I could see that her
little body was enough to drive any man crazy- softly curved hips
and perky little breasts that would fit nicely in my large
hands.
    “Hi, Aubrey,” I said, remembering to speak.
Luckily, Aubrey didn’t notice my gaze wandering over her body,
since she was peering over my shoulder at the announcements
board.
    “You’re looking for a babysitter?”
    “A babysitter? Oh, yes, I am looking for a
babysitter.” I reluctantly tore my eyes away from the hint of
cleavage I could see peeking over the top of her dress. “I need
someone to look after little Danny here this summer.”
    “Well I’m looking for a babysitting job this
summer, actually.” She ran her fingers through her hair and lowered
her voice. “Daddy wants me to work at the church like I usually do
in the summer, but he still treats me like I’m a little girl,